Chapter 625: Quite a Tough Nut to Crack

Chapter 625: Chapter 33: Quite a Tough Nut to Crack

But when the person within the streak of Escape Light saw the chariot inside the flower and the Two Elders of Youxuan, his face fell. He cursed under his breath, then his Escape Light abruptly changed direction and he shot away.

Seeing this, the Two Elders of Youxuan’s figures flickered, transforming into two trails of dense black flame as they gave chase.

In the blink of an eye, the two of them had intercepted the Escape Light.

The Escape Light dissipated, revealing a tall, well-built man with a handsome and suave face.

It was none other than the cultivator surnamed Li, who had bickered with the Two Elders of Youxuan that day and lured away Fairy Bao Yuan under the pretense of a duel.

“Brother Li, weren’t you taken away by Fairy Bao Yuan for Dual Cultivation? Why are you here all alone? Don’t tell me you were no match for her in bed and got kicked out?”

The Two Elders of Youxuan stared at him, their faces full of mockery.

The cultivator surnamed Li gave a bitter smile and cupped his hands. “Please, don’t tease me, Fellow Daoists. My relationship with Fellow Daoist Bao Yuan is completely innocent, as Heaven and Earth can attest. What happened that day was merely a matter of expediency. It was no easy feat for me to shake off Bao Yuan and get in here. I’ve heard you two have been sweeping through this Immortal Mansion and reaping great rewards. My congratulations to you both.”

One of the Two Elders of Youxuan said, “Since you’ve heard of our deeds, Fellow Daoist, then please hand over your Seven-Colored Lotus Seedpods. It would save us from coming to blows and wasting our Magical Power for no reason.”

The Li cultivator’s expression turned uncertain. He sighed. “You two have already gained immense rewards. Why concern yourselves with the paltry few I have?”

On the surface, the Two Elders of Youxuan stared at him with faint, unreadable smiles, refusing to back down. Inwardly, however, they were seething. ‘Immense rewards, my ass! With all those Seven-Colored Lotus Seedpods around, we haven’t gotten our hands on a single seed!’

Resigned, the Li cultivator let out another long sigh. He took out two Seven-Colored Lotus Seedpods and sent them floating over to the Two Elders of Youxuan with a wisp of Magical Power. “I haven’t been in here for long,” he said. “I’ve only managed to find these two. Please, accept them.”

The Two Elders of Youxuan sized him up. One of them asked coolly, “Is that really all?”

“I wouldn’t dare deceive you,” the Li cultivator said, his face a mask of sincerity.

The Two Elders of Youxuan were clearly skeptical. Just as they were about to press him, a coarse, booming laugh echoed from the distant sky. “Fellow Daoist Li, why leave without saying goodbye?”

A streak of white light shot across the sky, rapidly approaching them. Within it was a Demon Beast Skull as massive as a mountain.

The Li cultivator’s face fell. “Damn it!” he cried. A brilliant light flashed around him as he prepared to flee, but with a long laugh, the Two Elders of Youxuan joined forces to block his path.

“This is… aagh!”

The Li cultivator was so frustrated he could have cried. With an angry flick of his sleeves, he turned to face the distance.

His expression instantly shifted back to one of calm and suave composure. He adopted the bearing of a refined immortal, his eyes filling with tenderness as he gazed at the approaching Demon Beast Skull. “I’ve made you worry, Fairy,” he said in a gentle voice. “I heard that there is a Seven-Colored Treasure Lotus in this Immortal Mansion—a rare Tier Six Spiritual Object, a Divine Soul Treasure Medicine. I wanted to pick a few for you to show my affection.”

Moments later, the Demon Beast Skull arrived high above the Lotus Treasure Mountain.

With a flash of silver light, Bao Yuan’s sturdy and imposing figure appeared above the Lotus Treasure Mountain. She glared menacingly at the Two Elders of Youxuan.

“Fellow Daoist Li, are these two giving you trouble?” Bao Yuan asked coldly.

Her soul had been wounded in her youth, so she seemed unversed in the ways of the world—naive, simple, and without guile. But she was by no means weak-willed.

The Li cultivator’s eyes darted about, and just as he was about to speak, one of the Two Elders of Youxuan cut in. “Fairy Bao Yuan, we’ve all seen how devoted Fellow Daoist Li is to you. It’s just a shame he hasn’t found any Seven-Colored Lotus Seeds on his journey. I wonder, have you had any luck?”

Bao Yuan snorted. “I just entered this Immortal Mansion and have been chasing Fellow Daoist Li this whole time. Where would I find the time to search for anything? Are you two looking for another fight?”

She had pursued the Two Elders of Youxuan before, and after their initial clash, she had grown quite wary of their Divine Techniques. She knew she was not guaranteed to win.

However, for Fellow Daoist Li’s sake, she was willing to damage her own life-source to unleash a powerful Divine Technique… It all depended on whether the two of them could withstand it.

The Two Elders of Youxuan looked at Bao Yuan, then back at the Li cultivator, hesitating.

They both knew Bao Yuan didn’t lie, but the Li cultivator was far from being as simple as he appeared on the surface. This left them momentarily unsure of what to do.

Just then, the two of them received a mental transmission from Fang Cheng:

“Let them go. That man has a heavy demonic aura; there’s no need to push them too hard.”

The Two Elders of Youxuan were inwardly alarmed, but their expressions remained unchanged as they retreated. One of them smiled and said, “We were just having a friendly chat with Fellow Daoist Li. Since you two lovebirds have been reunited, we won’t disturb you any longer. Please, carry on, Fellow Daoists.”

Hearing the word “lovebirds,” a faint, shy blush crept onto Bao Yuan’s face. She immediately grabbed the Li cultivator’s hand, and with a flash of Escape Light, flew back into the Demon Beast Skull.

Then, the two of them sped off, disappearing over the horizon.

The Two Elders of Youxuan flew back to the chariot and presented the Seven-Colored Lotus Seedpods, sighing inwardly with relief. ‘Finally, some hope.’

‘Just nine more Seven-Colored Lotus Seedpods, and we’ll have fifty.’

…

Meanwhile, Bao Yuan took the Li cultivator and sped across a vast ocean, heading straight in a specific direction.

「Half a day later.」

Several dragon roars echoed from the sky ahead. In the distance, nine Purple Gold Flood Dragons could be seen pulling a massive ship toward them.

The auras of these nine Purple Gold Flood Dragons coiled and intertwined in the air, vast and immense. They were all powerful Tier Five Late Stage Demon Beasts.

The giant ship they pulled was also incomparably magnificent, its grandeur exuding an overwhelming dominance.

A dozen or so deep, heavy auras were stationed aboard the giant ship, adding further to its majestic presence.

Bao Yuan steered the Demon Beast Skull above the massive ship, materialized her form, and led the Li cultivator aboard.

Immediately, someone demanded in a deep voice, “Bao Yuan, why have you brought an outsider here?”